Like a Child
by Cloelius Princess
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts,many have never recovered.A new ward was created in St. Mungus for them.Minerva McGonagall it's tired of seeing Severus Snape dying slowly after a year in there so she calls for a powerfull former student. Harmony keeps many secrets and tries to remain as cold as possible in front of everyone. But when introduced to what remains of Severus...
1. Helpless

Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters don't belong to me and I write about then for the pleasure of working with great characters. For me, they are like actors. I will only do this disclaimer one. Harmony and the other OC'S are the only thing here that belongs to me.

This was my first ever fanfiction about Snape and until now was limited to a notebook in my desk. Now, after some sucess keeping other fanfiction about him, I find myself ready to finnaly publish this. Hope you will like.

New Ward of St. Mungus, 01:00 Pm

Minerva McGonagall was pacing the corridor, feeling nervous. She would prefer to be doing that in her Animagus form, but in St. Mungus that wouldn't be a clever thing to do. Not in that ward. Were all of the survivors of the Batlle of Hogwarts now remained.  
>Many of them had never uttered another word after being taken there. Never moved again from their beds. St. Mungus staff tried their best in the first few months. But some of them had never showed any kind of improvement.<br>Like her colleague, Professor Severus Snape. Oh, God. How much she had prayed that he would survive after they had found him still breathing in the Shack. Potter had offered himself to pay every single thing his former teacher would require to be alright again. To no avail until that day.  
>A sound of steps took Minerva from her thoughts. A hooded form appeared at the end of the corridor.<br>"Professor."- The hooded person aknowledged her.  
>"Harmony. It's that you?"- Minerva asked, still sounding nervous.<br>The hood falled and a beautiful girl with a stern face appeared in front of her.  
>"Yes, I'm Harmony, your former student. The one who used to leave behind candies in my desk in my first year."- The girl informed.<br>That bit of information was enough to tell that there was no Polyjuice. In those days was a real risk, with Death Eaters still in the run.  
>Minerva exhaled the air she had been containing. Like a mother lion with a cub, she lifted her hand to touch Harmony's face. The girl had to do a effort to not stepping back. The old woman understood.<br>"I heard about what happened, Harmony. I'm so sorry."  
>"Please, Professor. Don't."- Asked Harmony, recoiling in her hood. - "You asked me to be here because you needed a favor. I'm here now. Please, let's get down to business."<br>Minerva almost didn't recognized her former student. She used to be so sweet, so friendly. Had she done the right thing calling her for help?  
>Minerva pointed to a door in front of them and they got inside.<br>There was a white bed, with white sheets. The walls were white too. Harmony trembled in the inside. That was an amazing example why she hatted hospitals.  
>Lying on the bed, there was a very skinny man that looked upon them as they entered the room. He didn't move and didn't speak. He looked familiar in some way to Harmony, but she couldn't connect this tiny figure with anyone. The few parts of skin that were visible were full of scars. His face was so thin it could belong to a dead man. A huge scar marked his neck.<br>"This is the reason I called you, Harmony. When word arrived to me about you having returned to your house, I knew immediatly that you were the only person who could help him."- Stated Minerva, looking from Harmony to the man lying still.  
>"What happened to him?"- Harmony's expression remained serious, but her eyes never stopped observing the man. The sheets could be cleaner, she thought. And there was a powerfull smell coming from the bed that told her that someone was not taking proper care of him.<br>"This is Professor Snape, Harmony. I believe you read about the snake bit in the paper?"  
>That finally was enough to allow Harmony to show some emotion. Shock. That skeleton was Snape, the powerfull and feared Potions Master? Merlin, the fucking war had managed to affect really everyone.<br>"How long?"  
>"From the first day we found him."<br>"May I?"- Harmony pointed to the sheets, but not looking for McGonagall permission. She was looking at Snape.  
>He blinked at her a few times and she decided to take that as a yes.<br>As she uncovered what was under the sheets, her heart dropped inside and she had to close her eyes tightly to avoid tears. He was as thin as a skeleton and some injuries could be seen on the places were he remained in contact with the bed sheets. Bloody healers. She imagined if the other patients in that ward were in the same condition. Her heart dropped a little more.  
>She covered him again with a lot of care and when she raised her eyes to Minerva again, the woman could see col rage in them.<br>"I will take him away tonight."- She clearly stated.-" Nobody will know were and nobody will follow us. Be sure that they will have him ready after dinner time."  
>After one last glance to the helpless man in the bed, Harmony pulled her hood back on and left the room, leaving Minerva McGonagall gasping.<p> 


	2. Trust me and sleep

Severus looked around the tiny amount of room his position allowed. Then he closed his eyes and breath deeply.  
>Minerva had finally left, after hours in and out, talking with healers ( screaming would probably be a better word). She had said he was leaving that same night. Leaving!<br>For Merlin's beard. If he could, he would have laughed like a madman. Was he a madman?  
>Maybe most of the healers would bet so. After all, he had remained in silent and bedridden for more than a year by then.<br>Unfortunately for him, that wasn't true. His mind and judgement had remained intact all that time. He was aware of pretty much anything that happened around him, every fucking minute of every fucking single day.  
>For all he had understood, the same hooded girl from earlier would be the one to carry him away. To were? Nobody had said. For all he knew, she could be a mass murderer ready to kill him.<br>She was actually beautiful, with raven hair and emerald eyes. The hood suggested that she did had something to hide. Her expression had seemed cold and distant, her tone indifferent at best. Until she had uncovered his body, it is. Because in those few seconds, he had seen a huge amount of emotion in her eyes. Pity, compassion? He didn't knew for sure. But by the end of those seconds he had recognized the cold rage boiling inside those green eyes. For him?  
>Severus had a good idea how he must look. A grown man, unshaved, too thin, with only a shirt on and a diaper. It was embarassing to no end for him.<br>The worst part were the nightmares. Everytime he loosed his battles with sleep, the moment he closed his eyes he would revive his worst fears, his worst memories. Voldmort, the snake, those last few moments and words...

His bladder seemed to be the most reacting part of his body in those moments. It was for that reason the healers had choose to put him with a diaper. It was easier for them. Damned the dignity, he's of no use anyway. He can't even complain.

If at least he had a person to wake him up, confort him. Yes, Severus Snape was desperate to be conforted by a human bean. His coldness was long gone being pretty much alone during months without end. The occasional visitor never remained too long.

He hoped against all hopes that the unknown girl would be more human with him. Minerva seemed very sure that girl would be able to make his situation improve. She had said a lot without telling anything for sure. The girl had been one of her favourites once. A Gryffindor? If yes, from what year? He didn't remembered that face in his early classes at Hogwarts but she didn't looked that old that she hadn't crossed his path somewhere across the years.  
>Breaking through his thoughts, he heard the door opening. From his point of view,he had to wait a few seconds before he could see a hooded figure appear in the room.<br>She appproached the bed slowly, without any footsteps sound. Like a ghost, a vision.  
>She took off the hood as soon as she felt his eyes on her.<br>"I will take you away now, Sir. Before the night ends, you will feel a lot better."- She promised softly, her hand touching his check very lightly. Her voice was low as a whisper. Not cold at all now that they were alone.-"Now sleep, Sir. Trust me and sleep. Don't fight it. You will be safe with me but I cannot let you see were we are going tonight."  
>Before he realized what he was doing, he was already closing his eyes unable to fight the sudden call of sleep. Her voice was almost hipnotic.<br>Seeing this, Harmony smiled a little and stroked his cheek once more before step back and raise her arms in the air.

A sudden wind filled the room with purple mist and her eyes turned dark emeralds.  
>" Dràsta!"- She claimed with autority.<br>The purple mist enveloped them both. With the clamor of a thunder, the room was empty.

Authors Note: I'm no everyday english writer or speaker, so if I misspell something, forgive me.  
>My chapters will be more like scenes right now. Later they will getter bigger and more complete, I promiss.<p>

Hoping for some reviews from you.


	3. Dream Accomodations

A growl sound awakened Severus from his dreamless slumber. He opened his eyes to find himself in what looked like a living room, floating mid air. Behind him, he could hear her voice.  
>"Rufus, stop with that. You will awake him without any need of it. I know your dinner it's late. But when I finish with him you will be the very first to eat, boy. One exception, please? Pretty please?"<br>Her voice sounded really different from what he had heard before. It was warm and amused. He didn't had any clue about who Rufus might be, but she must like him to be so relaxed talkingto.  
>There was another sound and then she came into his view. Her eyes locked with his and she actually smiled for him.<br>"Welcome to your new home, Sir. I was just taking you to your new accomodations. It's a bit late today to check on your real health condition. Let's try to make you presentable and comfortable, shall we? Tomorrow will be an entire new day."- She suggested warmly.  
>With the slightest twitch of her fingers, he moved through a small corridor and entered into the most welcoming room he could have dreamed about.<br>The walls were covered in a very pleasant pattern paper. The bed was big enough for two people, made out of wood. There was real furniture all around, a closet, a desk, a bookshelf.  
>For him, was like something taked out of a dream.<br>A bathtub appeared on the middle of the room, vapors in the air that convinced him the water would be warm. Under it, there was a good and thick rug. In a corner, a fireplace with a roaring fire on already.  
>"Merlim, I don't want this dream to end."- He whished in his mind, his eyes looking from one spot to another.<p>

Harmony undressed him using magic.

The next thing he knew he was being placed on the tub. And the water was just perfect.

When he looked up, Harmony was on her knees beside the tub. With a sponge on her hand.  
>"I don't know for how long they didn't bath you, but I can see for your expression it must have been a good time since that happened. Try to enjoy it, Sir. It will please me to see you feeling better after."<br>In his field vision a german sheperd appeared out of nowhere and sitted itself beside Harmony.

The dog positively glared at him and turned his pointed muzzle, seemingly annoyed with his presence. Harmony narrowed her eyes to the dog but it didn't change anything with his attitude.  
>"This is Rufus. He's my friend and will help me with you too. After I give him is dinner, that is."- She explained sounding amused and with an mischivious expression inclined herself to him so she could whisper in Severus ear.-"He is quite strict about his meals, if you want to know. I get late five minutes and he goes mad with me. But he is amazing about everything else, you will see."<br>In the next hour, Harmony bathed Severus with the utmost kindness and care. She washed him, shaved him with patience. Never a harsh word, never a glance to the clock up at the desk. She just took her time, trying to make the experince enjoyable for him. Even if Rufus would glare them from time to time and protest.  
>"Oh, come on Rufus. Just today. This man must be thinking you haven't eat for days with all that noise. Have you seen how thin he is? He has the right to protest. You eat four times a day and still complain about it."- She tried to reason with the dog.<br>With a sound of perfect annoyance he moved to lie down in front of the fireplace heat.  
>Harmony returned to the task of washing the leftovers of shampoo on his hair. When she finished that, she got up and made a towel appear from nowhere in the thin was raised from the water and involved in the towel, then put on top of the now open bed. He observed that she didn't need a wand to control her magic at all. And for all the spells made at the same time, she had to be really powerfull.<br>She dryed him easily and aplied some salve on his injuries before dressing him like a proper man. Yes, she had discovered he had injuries all over his back in the bath. In the hospital the healers didn´t like to have the work of changing his position often. So he had quite some nasty injuries from that.  
>"In some days you will be able to lay on your back again, Sir. But for now I will left you on your side so this can heal properly. Now I will grab you some broth for you to eat."<br>She left the room after covering him with the sheets of the bed. He saw that Rufus remained unmoving, as if watching over him. When she returned he saw that she carried two bowls and left one on the floor in front of the sheperd muzzle. He didn't need to be told twice and advanced on it.  
>"That will make him more friendly for the rest of the night."- She assured him with a smile playing on her lips as she returned to sit beside in on the bed.<br>Spoonfull after spoonfull she feed him all the contents of the bowl. It was pretty good and savory compared to the things he had be forced to eat in the last year. When she finished, she cleaned his mouth and face of any residuous food and smiled warmly.  
>"It's nice to see you can manage to chew the food, even if very slowly. That's a good thing to work on. But it will wait for tomorrow. It's very late now and I want you to sleep and rest now. Rufus will stay with you every night until you can be alone. So if anything happens, he will warn me. Sleep well."<br>She got up and caressed his cheek for a moment before walking to grab Rufus bowl and leaving. The door remained ajar, because of the dog he imagined.

It didn't take too long for Severus to close his eyes for the night. The room was warm and the bed was the seven wonder of the world.

What more could he ask for?


	4. Once upon a time, it was different

Harmony rose fresh as a rose after a good night of night hadn't been as bad as she would have thought. There will be a lot of work to do, no doubt about it.  
>The first thing she did was checking on the guest room, still in her sleeping robes. She heard a small snoring sound coming from the bed that told her, Professor Snape was still sleeping sound.<br>Rufus raised from his spot in front of the fireplace, stretched and got to her side. With just a glance, her familiar told her that the man had sleept all night like a cub. She smiled and pet him on his muzzle.  
>Her next move was to open the kitchen door to the garden. Rufus runned away in a minute and left her to take care of breakfeast for them all.<br>Harmony made all fireplaces in the house roar to life. Winter was coming sooner rather than later. The cold was proof enough of that, making her skin turn into goosebumps.  
>She returned to her bedroom and dressed herself for the day ahead. A simple but warm green dress, her long hair tyed up in a ponytail. In any other day, she would have headed out with Rufus first thing in the morning. She loved to run free across the forest with her familiar. Some day they would fish their lunch out of the river. Some days Rufus would catch a rabbit for the same reason.<br>They lived out of any social rules and pretty far from any neighbors. It hadn't been always like that. Once, when her family was there with her, life was colorful. Full of happiness. They used to have neighbors, both wizards and Muggles. They would play with them all the time.  
>Now, after the was, there wasn't anyone left in miles around. Just the animals in the forest.<br>"Don't remember, girl. Don't think about the old times. You have a guest now. You can't return to those first months."- She tried to remember herself, while fighting with her thick mane of hair.  
>After taking another look into the guest room and be assured he was still sleeping, she got to the huge kitchenliving room. It was a big room, half of his space working as a full kitchen and the rest a good living room with sofas, chairs, carpets and books everywere. Into a corner next to the fireplace, there was a drawing station. In shelves around it a person would find everything to paint and draw.  
>It was cozy, but not as cozy as when her mother was alive. Then the entire room would be bursting with all kind of smells either from food or medicinal plants. One would always find treats somewhere. The fires were always roaring and the lights dimmed. "To give ambience."Her mother would say. Her good mother, her most perfect teacher.<br>She could still remember her father, reading his newspapers just below the window in the morning."This is the only place I can read with natural light in this kitchen."He would complain,trying hide an honest half smile.  
>So many good memories needed to remain buried deep inside her. It was her only way to go on.<br>Harmony tried to finally put her thoughts in order and start cooking. She liked it.

After half an hour when Rufus arrived, Harmony already had his bowl handy and was preparing things for lunch after baking some bread and cookies in the wood oven.  
>"Now,it's time to care for our guest. Eat and join us in the room, Rufus."- Harmony asked him with a smile. With a tray in her hands full of steaming and delicious food, she marched the corridor and knocked the guest room door.<p> 


	5. Linking to the living

I know, this took a lot for something already written. But my classes are taking me quite sometime, with some other complicated problems. I hope you don't mind to follow this story anyway. Love you all.

End of Author note.

"I wil need you to trust me, Sir. I will try to create a link between us that will help us with our communication."- Harmony was sitting in front of him in the bed after washing him and feeding him with a smile for an hour.-" We will be able to talk through our minds. Something in the lines of Leggilimancy. But at least I will be able to listen your voice somehow. "  
>She looked at him searching for any kind of sign or reaction. Exception made for his piercing gaze, there were none.<br>"Ok, let's do this. Now relax.I was told that you're the greatest Occlumens. That's not really a good thing for this. I need you to put your shields down for some minutes or I will hurt both of us without any need. I promess you I will not touch or spy any of your memories or secrets, ok? Trust me on that. We all have things to hide. Let yourself go with the wind."  
>Severus felt a soft brise of fresh air sorrounding him. It smelled of flowers,fresh cutted grass and forest scents. He knew that she hadn't opened the window, so it had to be magic. Her words were sinking in his head. Downing his shields? He couldn't. She would see. But in the other hand, she had told him that she wouldn´t see anything. How?<br>Next thing he felt there was someone trying to enter his mind. He looked in her eyes and saw cold determination on them. They were actually turning a different shade of green.  
>The air around them became more thick with it's smells. His natural reaction was to force her out, to defend his mind against the intruder. It was his best preserved vault. Until he felt a small pain in the back of his head. Harmony words returned to him. She had told him that it could hurt them if he didn't let her enter.<br>"Don't fight it, Sir. Please. Let me do it. Relax, now."- He listened to her voice but couldn´t see her lips moving.  
>So against any caution, he stopped. He felt immediatly something change around them, in his head. Like if he wasn´t alone anymore.<br>"Shhssss, Severus. It's ok. I can't see anything. I don't want to. I will just know what you will wish to share with me in the future."- There was her conforting voice inside him. How odd. It doesn't felt bad just...Odd. Like something very intimate with someone else.  
>"Can you hear me at all?"- She asked now, seeming concerned about it.<br>"Yes."- He voiced out, experimentally.  
>He opened his eyes, to find her smiling broadly at him.<br>"Welcome back among the living, Severus Snape." 


	6. Out of Bed

"I really don't want you bedridden all the time, you know?"- Expressed Harmony while dressing him up with some more normal clothes other than the sleeping garments.-"You've been in a bed for too long and you will surely agree with me."  
>"And what exactly are you thinking to do about it?"- Asked Severus, clearly ceptic in her mind.<p>

He couldn't do anything to stop her anyway and was feeling a lot curious about what would be her next step. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had dressed him properly and Harmony was doing it for the second time in the matter of... A day?

"Your back is healing well. I hope it will be clean tomorrow after I bath you tonight and apply some more cream."-She didn't actually answered his question but he didn't mind.

She finally finished dressing him and took some steps back to take a good look over her work.

"You look nice, Sir. If I just saw you right now, I would never say about you condition."  
>"My girl, in all my live I never ever looked "nice". Don't joke with me."<br>"I'm not joking, Sir. You really look nice right now. And will look better each day, I hope."  
>"That's a lot to hope about."<p>

Harmony returned to his bedside and took his skinny hand on hers.

"Sir, I do believe you will get better. I know a trick or two that may help. But most important, you must believe too. Forget about the past. In this house there is no past nor future to worry about. Let's work together and try to get you out of this situation. You're one of the strongest wizards I ever meet. I know you can do it."

Deep inside him, Severus could feel something that didn't belong there. Hope? Tenderness? They were not his feelings by any means but felt true as if they were. His eyes searched Harmony's in hope of an answer.

"Those are my feelings. The link allows you to feel them."- She simply stated, smiling tenderly.  
>"And you can feel mine?"- He voiced.<br>"Sometimes. You're an Occlumens, it's a bit different. The link is dual sided, yet you have control over what I see and feel. As do I."  
>"So you're projecting them to me?"<br>"In a way... It's not really intended but happens naturally."  
>"Interesting..."<br>"Well, right now I'm taking you to the living room. I don't want you here alone all day inside this room. I have chores to do and you will be there keeping me company."

Her energy was so contagious that Severus found himself a woman.


End file.
